A fleet of

161 yellow school buses operated by the Fayette County

School District will start their daily routes Aug. 16,

first day of the new school year.

There are

23 spanking new buses on the road, obtained through a

lease/purchase arrangement with the Georgia School Boards

Association. All vehicles recently passed an annual

inspection conducted by the Georgia State Patrol.

The school

system's transportation department transports all

eligible children in the district. The department

transports more than 12,200 regular students and

approximately 100 special education students daily,

during the school year.

All Fayette

County bus drivers receive 65 hours of classroom

instruction, on the road driving and hold commercial

drivers' licenses. Each year, they are administered a

skills evaluation test.

All

students riding buses must adhere to the following safety

rules:

� Students will follow the directions

of the driver.

� Students should be at the bus stop

five minutes before the bus arrives, waiting in a safe

place, clear of traffic and 10 feet from where the bus

stops.

� Students will wait in an orderly

line and avoid playing.

� Students will cross the roadway in

front of the bus after the bus has stopped, they have

looked at the bus driver for a hand signal, and they have

looked in both directions for traffic - left, right

and left.

� Students will signal the driver with

a waving motion if something is dropped and wait for the

driver to give a signal before picking up the object.

� Students will go directly to an

available or assigned seat, bottoms against the bottoms

of the seat, and keep hands to themselves.

� Students will not eat, drink, chew

gum, or bring tobacco, alcohol, drugs, or any controlled

substance on the bus.

� Students will not carry animals,

glass objects, nuisance items, hazardous materials, or

weapons onto the bus. Students may carry only objects

that can be held in their laps.

� Students will refrain from using

loud voices, profanity and/or obscene gestures, and

respect the rights and safety of others.

� Students will not extend head, arms

or objects out of the bus windows.

� Students will be totally silent at

railroad crossings.

� Students will stay seated until it

is time to get off the bus. The open bus door is the

signal to get up from the bus seat.

� Students must provide a written

note, signed by a parent or guardian and a school

official, giving permission to ride a different bus, or

get on or off the bus at a different bus stop.

� Student will help keep their buses

clean and in good, safe condition.

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